"What do you mean, 'what can we give you'?" Theresa was somewhat displeased with Mandela's statement.
They had no obligation to help the Tara people escape oppression; everything they had done so far was to connect with the leader of Deepsea.
Looking at Mandela's expression, she seemed to genuinely believe that Xing Chen and Theresa were sent by the Military Commission to help Deepsea.
Clearly, this silly cat wasn't smart enough, and it was impossible for her to meet their demands.
"Let me ask you something, are you a cadre of Deepsea now?"
"Not yet, but I believe the leader will soon recognize my value."
"Alright, I understand. Take my advice, being a Deepsea cadre isn't suitable for you."
"What do you mean?"
Xing Chen didn't answer Mandela's question, but instead looked at Theresa beside him. Seeing her hint, Xing Chen felt relieved.
"I'd like to talk to the person behind you. Do you think that's possible, Miss Lavishini?"
After he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent.
Soon, the sound of high heels clacking on the floor came from the darkness, and a cluster of purple flames appeared in everyone's sight.
"Then you two might be disappointed." Abrana appeared before everyone, holding her spear-like staff.
"Leader!" William and Mandela immediately stood up and bowed. Abrana simply nodded, then used purple flames to revive the rich merchant's corpse, making it fetch a chair for her.
Things were somewhat beyond his expectation. He had originally thought that at this time, Abrana would still be living in seclusion behind the scenes, and Lavishini, who was easier to talk to, would be at the forefront.
He had planned for Theresa to put on an act, use rumors of the March of the Dead to lure Lavishini to this town, then confuse her, let her talk to Abrana, and get what he wanted.
He himself wasn't confident he could satisfy the ambitions of a greedy Red Dragon.
Seeing the atmosphere grow somewhat awkward, Theresa was the first to greet Abrana. Compared to Xing Chen, her social experience, especially her ability to deal with leaders of various factions, far exceeded that of a homebody who only went between the laboratory and his rented room.
As the Babel leader and the Deepsea leader exchanged views, Xing Chen quietly moved beside William.
"Mr. Xing Chen, who exactly are you?" William asked in a low voice.
"I am... a master's student from the Military Commission."
"What's a master's student? Is it more powerful than a university student?"
"Of course we are."
"I see... But I don't see you as a Sarkaz. How did you get into the Military Commission?"
"Do you believe me if I say it's because of Theresa? She has connections in the Military Commission and knows a lot of people."
"That must be some strong connection. Is she the Demon King?"
The Demon King had been assassinated and died long ago, so William clearly didn't believe him.
At this moment, Mandela also quietly sat down beside the two. She glanced at Theresa, who was chatting animatedly with Abrana, then turned to ask Xing Chen.
"How did you find a demon wife?"
"She fell from the sky."
"You dare to be with a demon woman? And her identity is clearly not simple. Aren't you afraid she's some demon fugitive or something?"
"Don't keep saying 'demon, demon,' Mandela. She has a name, she's Sarkaz," William told Mandela.
"Alright, Sarkaz, Sarkaz." Mandela made a gesture of surrender. "Why don't you find someone of your own race?"
"Hmm, how should I put this? Let me give you an example. Suppose I experienced unfair treatment in a relationship with someone of my own race.
Plead guilty and accept punishment --- the court would rule me fully responsible and liable for compensation.
Jump into the river to commit suicide --- the government would condemn me for wasting food.
Wait for mediation --- the media would say it's my responsibility to escalate the impact.
Provide evidence --- the court would not accept it.
Insist on innocence --- the police would directly detain me.
To be honest, I'd rather find a Sarkaz than have my money taken away and be sent to jail."
After listening to Xing Chen, William and Mandela exchanged glances, and finally Mandela blurted out, "It's a bit like our relationship with the Victoria government."
"But if you do this, what about your race?" William thought more deeply. Mandela also nodded in agreement, as almost all members of Deepsea were racial purists. Everything had to be considered for Tara.
"Our race is thriving, you don't need to tell us. Even if there are real problems, we'll all be pretty much in the grave by then."
"That's true. There's no use for us to think about such things." William's words received unanimous approval from the three.
As the three were chatting back and forth, Theresa and Abrana, who had been conversing amicably just moments ago, suddenly started fighting.
Abrana's purple flames flowed from the tip of her spear, and Theresa immediately released all her dust particles. The spread of the purple flames was immediately confined to the area around the two.
"Is this your Originium Arts?" Abrana said with a fake smile.
"Just weaving and reconstructing reality. After all, if your fire touches anything, it'll turn into those monsters." Theresa glanced at the rich merchant's corpse, which was glowing with purple flames next to them. "It seems that if your fire is restricted, your combat power isn't that strong either."
"Are you sure?" Abrana summoned all the purple flames back to herself, forming a shield that could withstand physical and magical damage, and simultaneously pulled out a spell card. "Try this."
Chains made of fire restricted Theresa's movements, but there was no waver in her eyes.
The chains exploded, and a hand reached out from the smoke, passing a blade made of black dust through the shield and placing it on Abrana's shoulder.
The two were in a stalemate for a moment, then Abrana burst into laughter, and Theresa also smiled as she retracted her blade.
"What in the world were you two talking about?" Xing Chen felt utterly confused by such a strange scene.
"It was just some ideological differences, but I agree with her view that the Tara people should indeed use every possible means to fight for their independence. However, I cannot accept her turning her own people into puppets with purple flames, or even sacrificing innocent people."
Xing Chen really wanted to tell Theresa about the little cat Eggroll's deeds, but when he looked at Abrana, she gave him a smile, probably having already spilled the beans.
Otherwise, how could the usually stable Theresa have resorted to fighting?
"Alright, I will apply for a special business permit from the Iron Duke, but I cannot guarantee the specific grade." Abrana bowed to the two.
"That's enough, as long as Ursus's Infected regulators don't just shoot us dead like ordinary Infected." Theresa gripped Abrana's hand and shook it firmly.
With the matter resolved, Xing Chen and Theresa prepared to leave after obtaining the permit.
He was a little regretful not to have seen the extra-large cup of Dragon Milk, but there would be many more opportunities to deal with Deepsea in the future, so he would meet her eventually.
